


Blue Flame

by orphan_account



Series: Knight Project [1]
Category: Pocket Monsters | Pokemon - All Media Types
Genre: Action/Adventure, Original Character(s), Other, character driven, kanto, long running fanfic
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-05-02
Updated: 2016-05-02
Packaged: 2018-06-05 20:41:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 9,554
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6722617
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>This is the beginning of the epic story of the fate of the hero Āsā, beginning with his journey through the Kanto region with a girl named Jenny. The first in a trilogy of stories taking a new approach to the Pokémon world borrowing elements from the Adventures manga, the games, and imagination. Headcanon character voices, openings, etc. included. DISCLAIMER: Delayed simultaneous release with fanfiction.net.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. A Boy and His Zorua

**Author's Note:**

> Hello AO3 community! First off, This is my first attempt in making fanfiction. This story is going to be slightly different from other stories. I will be providing "headcanon" Japanese voice actors for the characters (I'll provide career highlights so you have an idea of what they sound like, with the roles that most influenced my decision bolded that are the most similar when necessary), as well as opening, ending, and insert songs. Listening to these while reading is intended to assist in immersing yourself within the world I am painting for you. Not mandatory, but HIGHLY recommended. The story itself is an original character based romp through the Pokémon world reminiscent of a good old adventure anime, with some inspiration from the Adventures manga series and my own imagination.
> 
> Now, it's important for me to say that this work was originally published on Fanfiction.net, and I've decided that I'll be syndicating chapter releases between here and fanfiction.net. I will post a new chapter whenever I finish the following chapter. Basically, AO3 is always going to be one chapter behind fanfiction.net. However, the AO3 release will sort of be like a director's commentary of sorts. At the end of each chapter I'll add reflections on the chapters, acknowledging what goals I accomplished with the chapter as well as what I feel I could have done better. There will also probably be some extras, such as design inspirations, some explanations of certain references, etc.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A new challenger takes the stage in the Vermillion City Gym

Cast  
Āsā Patrion:  **Hiroshi Kamiya** (Trafalgar Law from _One Piece_ , **Koyomi Araragi from the _Monogatari_ series**, Yuzuru Otonashi from _Angel Beats_ , Seijūrō Akashi from _Kuroko no Basket_ , Levi from _Attack on Titan_ , **Yato from _Noragami_** , Shinji Matou from _Fate/stay night_ , T-Bone from _Clifford the Big Red Dog_ )

Lt. Surge:  **Tetsu Inada** (Katayama Gorobei from _Samurai 7_ , **Sajin Komamura from _Bleach_** , Kurogane from _Tsubasa Chronicle_ , Nappa in _Dragon Ball Z Kai_ , Tetsu Shinjo from _Cardfight!! Vanguard_ , **Ira Gamagoori from _Kill la Kill_** , Rory 1 from _Thomas and Friends_ )

Zorro:  **Inori Minase** (Suzune Tanahashi from _Love Lab_ , Eddelrittuo from _ALDNOAH.ZERO_ , Asaka Mibu from _Black Bullet_ , Chino Kafū from _GochiUsa_ , Koharu Seto from _Your Lie in April_ , **Hestia from _DanMachi_** , Carol Malus Dienheim from _Senki Zesshō Symphogear GX_ , **Yuki Takeya from _Gakkou-Gurashi!_** , Tsubasa Oribe from _Genei Ibun Roku #FE_ , women from _Symphogear_ )

Our Lord and Savior Pokédex-sama: **Chiwa Saitō** (Komachi Mikumari from _Samurai 7_ , Kosuna from _Desert Punk_ , Hazuki/Luna from _Tsukuyomi: Moon Phase_ , Natsumi Hinata from _Sgt. Frog_ , **Hitagi Senjougahara from the _Monogatari_ Series**, **Homura Akemi from _Puella Magi Madoka Magica_** , Fredrika from _Hitsugi no Chaika_ , Cooper "Coop" Burtonburger from _Kid vs. Kat_ )

Mystery Character Who is Previewed in the End: **Risa Taneda** (Saki Watanabe from _Shin Sekai Yori_ , Xenovia Quarta from _High School DxD_ , Ai Hibiki from _Golden Girls_ , Sachi Nagamiya from _Glasslip_ , **Mirai Kuriyama from _Kyoukai no Kanata_** , Sayumi Takanashi from _Inou-Battle Within Everyday Life_ , Yukina Himeragi from _Strike the Blood_ , **Kaori Miyazono from _Your Lie in April_** , Erina Nakiri from _Food Wars: Shokugeki no Souma_ , Girl from _The Devil is a Part-Timer!_ )

 

Battle 001:  
~The Boy and the Blue Flame~

The salty ocean air resonated with his senses, somehow simultaneously being refreshing yet compulsive at the same time. He could see the Vermillion City Harbor from the ship's banister. Āsā's heart began to quiver in anticipation. His journey through Kanto was about to begin. He dashed across the deck and into the ship's interior to procure his belongings.

* * *

 

The scent of lithium and cigar smoke permeated throughout the Vermillion City Gym. Lieutenant Surge was a man's man, with muscles the size of a car battery and a dull green tank top that accentuated his awe inspiring pecs and abs. His baggy camo khakis were kept in control by his prominent leather boots that stretched all the way to his shins, and he could almost always be seen with a cigar in his mouth when he wasn't facing challengers.. The wrinkles of old age may have began to slowly creep in, but they were just barely visible, and the magnificent bastard still had the strength and willpower of a soldier in him. Lt. Surge was a trooper. PTSD tried to get ahold of him at one point, and he chose to specialize in the Pokémon with the flashiest moves out of spite. War doesn't overcome Lt. Surge, Lt. Surge overcomes war.

It is precisely for this reason that the Vermillion City gym hasn't given out a single gym badge in the past 3 years. Lt. Surge doesn't mind losing to challengers, he just doesn't want to go down without a fight.

This was just one of the many, many reasons the Indigo Pokémon League began undergoing reform 2 years ago. Times change, and the battling scene changes with it. New gym leaders have come and gone. Additionally, aspiring trainers could now enter the Indigo Plateau with any combination of badges from the Kanto and Johto region certified Pokémon Gyms. However, kinks in this system are still being worked out, and the Kanto phase is only now reaching its finish, with Johto soon to follow.

Now that trainers didn't have to defeat the Vermillion Gym leader, the gym's challenger rate has plummeted. The only trainers that ever come to challenge Lt. Surge in this day and age were either cocky fools or foreigners who were unaware of his reputation.

So, of course, Lt. Surge was less than surprised nor was he excited that this new challenger before him was nothing more than a somewhat scrawny kid in an olive green trench coat that was just ever so slightly too big for him. The boy's t-shirt prominently featured a black-and-white Zebstrika inspired design–a black base and two white thunderbolts streaking from his sides towards the center of his ribcage–by pin-up model and Unovian gym leader Elesa. His boots went up to just above his ankles and were a standard sleek black leather, albeit slightly tattered. The boy's dark auburn Cloud Strife-esque–although somewhat tamer–hair was hidden by a beret whose color matched his trenchcoat's.

He looked like a fucking dumbass and Lt. Surge wanted to deck the kid Full Metal Jacket style just from the look of the smug smirk on his face.

"You sure ya ready for this, kid?" provoked Lt. Surge, attempting to intimidate the poor kid. "What's your name anyway, ya little dipshit?"

"Āsā Patrion, sir!" the challenger exclaimed in response.

"Heh! Tryin' ta impress me kid? Confidence doesn't do a damn thing kid, you all end up the same in the end–" He threw his cigar behind him. "Cryin' to your mothers!"

With this the Lieutenant drew out his Pokéball.

"You don't have to be so rude I was just trying to show you some respect...." Āsā retorted, also drawing out his first Pokéball. He looked slightly nervous and maybe even somewhat embarrassed, but there still wasn't any sweat to be found on the young trainer's brow. His composure was rock solid when compared to the hulking war veteran he was about to face.

"It may not be very smart to challenge me," cried Lt. Surge. "But it takes guts! I never lose on the battlefield! I'll obliterate you as if you were just another enemy soldier in the war! Let's get this over with! Voltorb, go!!"

"You're not very nice, ' _sir,_ '" muttered Āsā condescendingly, "Let's get this started, Mito...!"

Out of Lt. Surge's Pokéball came another Pokéball, this one being sentient and having a slightly brighter shade of red. The Voltorb sent out a few sparks to orbit it as if it had something to prove to the opposing Pokémon that had yet to burst out of its ball.

The Pokémon that Āsā referred to as Mito also sprang out of its Pokéball, a peppy yet fierce little Growlithe whose cry was stronger than her body could handle, causing it to slightly jump with each bark at first. While she seemed innocent enough, she had the eyes of a warrior.

The battle began.

"Voltorb! Charge!" The gym leader commanded.

Sparks encompassed the Ball Pokémon, growing in frequency until they all were absorbed by it, temporarily strengthening its electric capabilities as well as its special defense stat.

"Alright then," Āsā's body tensed in anticipation. "Mito! Leer!"

With this the Growlithe tensed its body and delivered a sharp glare at Voltorb.

"Voltorb! Electro Ball!" With this, the electric type swiftly flipped itself backwards and spun at a breakneck speed, generating an electric current.

"FIRE!" The currents collected in the spherical silhouette of the Voltorb and fired towards the leering Mito.

"Mito! Switch it up! Face it head on with Flame Wheel!"

Mito sprung out of the Leer and into the air, beginning to spout flames from her mouth. Flipping into a brief revolution, Mito's flames spread into a ring around the Puppy Pokémon, and stayed intact as she charged towards Voltorb's electric projectile.

"What the hell is this kid trying to pull!?" spouted Lt. Surge in disbelief. With brute force, Mito's flame wheel made impact with the Electro Ball. It charged through the Electro Ball, splitting it in half, colliding head on into Voltorb, inflicting a burn.

"Grrr... looks like that confidence wasn't just naivety after all, ya got a name kid? Voltorb! Rollout!" Voltorb began to roll on the ground, rapidly increasing in velocity–and with an increase in velocity comes an increase of momentum.

"Mito, dodge!" Mito was able to jump out of the way. However, Voltorb turned around with an inescapable rebound, inflicting damage that was both critical and super effective. "Damn it, looks like we're gonna have to fight it head on with a Flame Wheel!"

The canine initiated its Flame Wheel Attack and charged directly towards the rebounding Voltorb, the two clashing head on. Locked in a battle of will and strength, neither Pokémon was going to back down. "Oh yeah, it's Āsā, and you better not forget it!"

However, the sheer intensity of the clash eventually grew too much to bear, and both Pokémon had to bail out, both taking a heavy physical toll.

"Mito! How are you doing?" Mito looked back, and nodded in affirmation despite the pain it was currently feeling. "Good! Let's go for the Reversal!"

"Don't let it go through! Blast that damn mutt away with Electro Ball!" Things were finally getting interesting for Lt. Surge. A soldier like him who lives for the thrill of combat was not going to give up now. His Voltorb fired the sparking shot with the strength of a cannon.

"Mito–!" The Growlithe was one step ahead of its trainer, attempting to side step out of the way of the incoming threat. Although the attack scraped it, it did not hit enough surface area of the Pokémon to stop it. With a downward swipe of its tail, Mito smashed Voltorb viciously against the ground, creating enough pressure to imprint a small crater into the gym's steel flooring.

"Heh! Looks like we've just about got you pinned! Reversal's a move that only gets stronger the more damage the user has taken! Mito let's finish this off–"

"letsgovoltorb!SelfDestruct INITIATE!"

"SHIT!!!!"

Voltorb became engulfed in a scarlet tint, its internal body temperature exponentially heating up to the point where it could not be contained. The only thing it could do is burst out in a cataclysmic explosion accompanied by nearly blinding light. An unconscious Mito rag-dolled into the ceiling and ricocheted off it, pounding into the cold metal floor. Voltorb had fainted as well, of course.

Both trainers returned their incapacitated Pokêmon to their respective Pokéballs. "Heh, you're not half bad, kid," Lt. Surge complimented, "I mean you're not pushing me back into a corner or anything but you're holding your own. That's something."

"You know," Āsā replied with hesitation, "I _could_ say the same to you." The look on Lt. Surge's face was priceless, red with anger. He practically had steam fuming out of his ears.

"Let's see if you can possibly keep up." A malevolent grin appeared on Lt. Surge's face. _Doubt it._ "Raichu! Come on out!"

Lt. Surge's Raichu was somewhat thin compared to other Raichus, and it was giving the same malevolent grin Lt. Surge had on his face. This was accompanied by an inert tenseness within. This was the stance of a ruthless sadist.

"Hmph. you don't see that often," Āsā commented as he reached into his pocket, pulling out a Pokédex.

_Raichu: The Mouse Pokémon. When its electricity builds, its muscles are stimulated, and it becomes more aggressive than usual._

"I see, somebody's got a little electricity build up," the boy said to himself as he drew out his next Pokêball. "Alright Bara, Take it over!"

Bara was a Yamask, and a relatively timid one at that. However, the Spirit Pokémon was filled with determination.

"Let's start things off with a Will-O-Wisp!" Five incorporeal skulls appeared one at a time, each orbited around the Yamask until it wept a single tear. This was a signal to dart for the Raichu.

"Grrr...don't let a single one hit you Raichu!" The rodent dashed away, circling around Yamask from a fair distance attempting to throw off the wisps, but to no avail. The wisps eventually caught up to him, sinking into his pelt and inflicting the Burn status upon him. "Damn it!" Raichu! Go for a Volt Tackle!"

"Bara...let it go through," Āsā commanded with a devilish grin.

Raichu charged towards Bara, his cheeks continuously releasing electricity until the Mouse Pokémon was nothing more than a lightning blur. He charged headfirst into the ghost type Pokémon inflicting a critical hit. However, the sheer scale of the electrical discharge he had just released resulted in recoil damage. Additionally, a part of Yamask stayed attached to Raichu, stretching until it broke away. Once Raichu was at a distance from Bara, this ectoplasmic fragment of sorts sprung into the air and wrapped itself around Raichu's mid region, constricting him. It then extended its hold around the bottom half of the rodent's body, maintaining the appearance of embalming bandages.

"What the hell?" Lt. Surge responded, aghast with great confusion.

"Allow me to explain, Mr. Surge," patronized Āsā.

"THAT'S LT. SURGE!"

"Hush now." It was clear that Āsā was enjoying being one step ahead of Lt. Surge. "Bara is a Yamask, a Pokémon with an unique ability known as 'Mummy.' Any physical contact with my Bara spreads the Mummy ability to your Pokémon, overriding its original ability until it is returned to its Pokéball. Now, your Raichu's uh...Static, is it?" Lt. Surge's face crinkled. "I'll take that as a yes– looks like I won't have to worry about getting paralyzed by you anymore."

"GRRRRR! YOU DARE PATRONIZE ME IN MY OWN GYM?? NOW YOU'RE IN FOR IT! RAICHU USE MEGA KICK!"

Raichu's powerful kick merely phased through Bara. "Wow, you must really be mad if you forgot all about how ghost types are immune to normal type moves."

"PLEASE! THAT WON'T STOP US! THUNDER BOLT!"

Raichu stored electricity into his cheek pouches and released it all at once midair, striking Bara from behind before he could react.

"Bara! Shake it off! Time for a Hex!" The eyes on Bara's mask became alight with a dark aura, and a giant ethereal smiling skull materialized in front of the ghost type Pokémon. The apparition floated towards Raichu, looming over him as its jaws engulfed him, only for it to phase away. Raichu could only quiver in horror from the sight. Suddenly, six dark spears of aura began to relentlessly jab at the poor rodent repeatedly. Fifteen seconds passed and these aura spears dematerialized as fast as they had appeared. Raichu dropped onto the floor, unconscious. Bara just continued to float showing no signs of emotion, while Āsā had a smile that almost stretched beyond the limits of his face. "How's that for 'keeping _up?_ ''"

"You fought historic out there, _buddy ol' pal_. Take a good long rest Raichu." Lt. Surge returned the Pokémon into its Pokéball. He turned to Āsā and gave the trainer a grin that rivaled his own. "Hoooo boy, now you've got me excited!" The gym leader cracked his knuckles intimidatingly."I can't even remember how long it has been since I last experienced this kind of challenge." Lt. Surge reached into his back pocket and pulled out an Ultra Ball. "Usually I don't resort to this, but I think you've earned it. Get ready to face the true power..."

Lt. Surge tossed the Pokéball behind him, and from it sprout a massive avian whose size dwarfed both of them in comparison.

"...OF A MAN WHO HAS SURPASSED WAR! ZAPDOS USE DISCHARGE!"

The thunderbird's figure lit itself up in all of its glory with a phantasm of lightning, which enveloped the entire gym. This incredulous display of strength incapacitated Bara.

"Holy shit...." These were the only words that were able to bring themselves into fruition As he returned the fried Spirit Pokémon to its Pokéball. All of the pride he had been displaying was wiped away by this single discharge.

Such is the power of a legendary Pokémon.

Āsā once again pulled out his Pokédex, which was possibly the only thing that could lead him to victory.

_Zapdos: The Electric Pokémon. A legendary bird that can freely control lightning and thunder. Legend says that it appears only when a thundercloud parts into two halves._

"Just as expected from the Kanto region," said Āsā."Always going the extra mile. Alright, Zorro, let's do this."

Āsā took out his final Pokéball and sent it open. Out of it came... Lt. Surge?

"HAHAHAHA! YOU HAVEN'T EVEN BEEN IN A WAR!" yelled the doppelgänger.

"ARE YOU MOCKING ME, MAGGOT?!?!?!?" burst Lt. Surge.

"Damn it Zorro! Now's not the time to play around; you're facing a legendary Pokémon!" Āsā expressed with frustration. He came up behind the doppelgänger, which had a stubby onyx tail. Āsā yanked it. Hard.

A loud yipe came from the doppelgänger. The illusion spiraled into the tail as if it was a black hole, until only the form of a shiny blue-tufted Zorua remained. _You're no fun._ The Zorua was communicating with its trainer telepathically in a childlike voice. "You heard me, now's not the time to play around we've gotta take down this glorified pigeon." _Fiiiiiiine._

Āsā needed time to think. Strategize. Unfortunately, he only had less than a minute. _I have the means necessary to fend off any attacks. Now, I just need to figure out how to take this thing down._... "Alright, I think I've got it now. Zorro use Feint Attack."

Zorro zoomed out of its position almost instantaneously, like a vanishing shadow. It reappeared behind Zapdos, enveloped in a dark aura, and struck it down, hitting somewhere around the spinal area. Zapdos turned around before hitting the floor. "Zapdos use Drill Peck!"

"You can dodge this!"

The thunderbird spun like a drill, its beak being the center of the spiral. The Tricky Fox Pokémon was able to swoop out of the attack's reach and landed back onto the ground. "Go for another Feint Attack before it rebounds!"

Zorro darted behind Zapdos, which was still recovering out of its Drill Peck move, and struck again. This time, the Electric Pokémon collided with the gym's wall. Zorro landed back on the ground.

"Tch, bastard," Lt. Surge cursed under his teeth. "Use Discharge! Don't hold back!"

"Zorro! Protect!" An almost glasslike dome generated around Zorro, shielding it from the devastating electric attack.

"Damn it!" Lt. Surge clenched its fist. "Thunder Wave!"

Zapdos broke away from the wall and flapped its wings. A wave of sparks is blown towards Zorro. "Zorro! Dash under it, then use Fury Swipes!" Zorro ran as fast as it could to get out of Thunder Wave's range. Succeeding, Zorro jumped to Zapdos's level and brandished its claws.

Before Zorro could begin to slash away, Lt. Surge managed to bark a command. "Ancient Power!" Zapdos's eyes turned into a pure marble white, tucking its wings in quickly, and spreading them out again even faster, releasing a wind current similar to a sonic boom that extended in every direction within a six foot radius, tossing the Zorua back into the gym floor.

"Zorro! Are you still good to fight?" The Zorua, although heavily scraped, nodded with determination. _I'm still standing. Peeved off, but standing._ Āsā couldn't help but smirk. "Alright, you'll just have to fight ten times harder to get back at 'em."

"Zapdos! Drill Peck!"

"Incinerate!"

Zorro spouted flames from its mouth, flames that almost had the appearance of cotton candy. Extremely hot, hellfire cotton candy. These flames overtook Zapdos stopping its attack and scorching it as well. "Hehe, I wonder how much meat's on there." Āsā licked his lips.

 _Darn it, now I'm hungry_!

"I'll get you some chicken if you're able to beat this thing."

_Oooh, now you've got me going! Let's do this!_

"Hehe, yeah. Enough talk, let's finish this!"

[CUE INSERT SONG: **Transformation** by Takeharu Ishimoto (ft. Andy from "Sixpin"), Originally from _The World Ends With You_ ; Youtube link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J_P1OwYgZNI]

"ZAPDOS! DISCHARGE!" Zapdos charged itself up for its electrical spectacle of an attack.

"Protect!" Zorro braced itself, forming his dome, and took no damage from the attack. "Feint Attack!" Zorro phased towards Zapdos.

"ANCIENT POWER!" Zapdos tensed itself in preparation for the attack.

"Phase out of Ancient Power's range, and then attack!" Zorro did just that, moving out of the move's range before it was unleashed, and then afterwards seizing the opportunity to strike Zapdos down towards the ground. "Don't stop now! Fury Swipes!" Zorro swan dived to follow Zapdos, and as it descended past Zapdos landed a myriad of swipes on it, and then landed gracefully on the ground. "This is it! INCINERATE!" Zorro tilted its head towards the still falling Zapdos and unleashed its fiery combo finisher, which pushed Zapdos back into the air. After readjusting itself from the devastating combo, Zapdos was still barely holding on, barely able to flap its wings in order to keep itself suspended in midair.

"THIS CAN'T BE HAPPENING!" Lt. Surge screamed. "THERE'S NO WAY MY STREAK IS ABOUT TO BE BROKEN BY SOME COCKY PIPSQUEAK!!!! I WON'T LET THAT HAPPEN! DISCHARGE!!!! CHARGE IT UP FOR MAXIMUM DAMAGE!"

"PROTECT!"

"Not gonna happen, kid! Zapdos's ability is Pressure, which doubles the amount of Power Points spent on an attack! Your Protect's fresh out buddy! NOW, BLAST 'EM!!!"

 _Tch...this is bad._ Āsā knew very well that Zorro wouldn't be able to survive the attack if it hits. _That's it! It's risky, but it's my best shot._ "Zorro!" Flip around while using Incinerate! Surround yourself with as much fire as possible! This may not work but it's all we've got!"

 _Oh I'll make it work!_ Zorro's reassurance calmed Āsā's anxiety. He had known Zorro long enough to know the Pokémon was capable of this monumental task.

And Zorro delivered. The Pokémon whipped up a plethora of flames, completely engulfing himself in them right as Zapdos unleashed its Discharge. Incinerate's flames acted as a makeshift Protect, shielding it from damage. However, the combined heat of the flames and the electricity released nearly made Zorro pass out from Heat Stroke. When both attacks had dispersed, he was drenched with sweat. "No time to rest, Zorro! Finish Zapdos with Feint Attack!"

With a nod, Zorro phased behind Zapdos and dealt the finishing blow. The legendary bird had fallen. Āsā had become the first challenger to defeat the Vermillion City Gym Leader in 3 years.

[If it hasn't finished for you already, you can cut off the insert song.]

* * *

 

The sun was just barely beginning to set. Āsā and Lt. Surge had moved outside following their gym battle. Zorro was perched on the young trainer's shoulder. Lt. Surge had a straight face, which made Āsā nervous of what he was about to do. He gulped.

"Listen, kid," Lt. Surge bellowed before shifting to a subdued, more insightful tone. "What you did today...well it hasn't been done in a long time. A _long_ time. Over three years. I should be upset. I am upset. However, most of all, I'm happy. I'm at peace." Lt. Surge rested his hand on Āsā's head. "Āsā,"

This was the first time he had referred to his challenger by name.

"You taught me what it was like to truly feel the adrenaline of battle again. Congratulations, kid, you earned this." Lt. Surge reached into his pocket and pulled out a medal in the shape of a sunflower, with a burnt orange jewel in the center. However, this badge still had slight remnants of lint left over, and it was slightly rusty. "I know it doesn't look like much, but the Thunder Badge looked awesome in its hey-day."

"Oh Lieutenant, you spoil me," Āsā teased as he took the badge from the gym leader's' extended palm. He pulled out a slim case from one of the inner pockets of his trenchcoat and put the Thunder Badge in it.

"It only gets rougher from here, kid."

"I know," replied Āsā. "But for anything Kanto throws at us,"

"Me and Zorro are ready."

~Battle 001 End~

[CUE ENDING/OPENING 1: **Because You Are You** by Aqua Timez]

* * *

 

[With the sort of almost pulse-like warm up before the main instrumentals leading into the song kick in, A blue flame burns in a background of black. Once the main instrumentals kick in this fire fades into Zorro's tuft, and Zorro leaps onto Āsā's shoulder, who is dashing intoblue sky backdrop as whatever you imagine the main logo to be fades in with Zorro's blue tuft in the bottom right corner of it. It fades out as the vocals get ready to kick in.]

**Kono kami no uchigawa wo kasumeru koi**

_On this paper is a hazy voice_

[We view Āsā strolling along in the standard anime elbows up pose on the left side, sort of kicking his feet at points in an attempt to keep himself entertained, behind him is a sort of generic silver gradient background]

**Sono koe ga warau made wo chigiru**

_That will tear the clouds apart until it can laugh again._

[Āsā's Pokémon fade in following him, at "Sono" Zorro comes from the side of the screen prancing up to him and somewhat passing him slightly. At "warau" Bara materializes behind him doing a twirl, and at "wo" Mito sort of comes in strutting behind Āsā.]

**Nobashita te ga fukou wo tsumaku kamo to**

_Thinking that their outstretched hands will grasp nothing but misfortune,_

[Now we focus on a girl with her long faded pastel orange hair topped with a red bandana. She is wearing a pink spaghetti strap tank top, and light green shorts that cover no more than her thighs. She is somewhat moping, cradling a Mawile in her arms.at "tsukamu" a Corpfish and Corsola practically flail their small legs trying to keep up with her.]

**Tejou wo kakete yasuragu hito mo ita**

_there have been people who gambled with the heavens and are now in rest._

[The two are now on the same plane, walking until they pass each other at "-ragu." At "hito" we get a close up of the two turning around to look at each other again, with emphasis on the girl. When they turn around the silver gradient turns into a blue sky, and their plain environment becomes rolling hils. Focus swooshes from this locking gaze and swoops into the blue sky.]

**Tadashisa yasashisa kanashisa**

_Righteousness, kindness, sadness–_

[We now get a brief preview of the first three gym leaders Āsā faces. They are heavily shadowed to the point where they are barely visible. Focus is shaky, and even then we only get what is barely a second's glimpse of all 8 gym leaders together in front of a backdrop of the purple cosmos before focusing on these three. On "tadashisa" we get a shaky glimpse of Lt. Surge, arms crossed intimidatingly and slightly towering over our view with his Raichu on his shoulder, giving the psychotic look showcased earlier in this chapter. On "yasashisa" we get a preview of Erica, somewhat hiding her face behind a folding fan, with her Bellossom twirling. With "kanashisa" we can barely make out Sabrina brooding with her arms out, and her Alakazam in a near identical position. Each of their respective Pokémon's eyes stand out with eyes glowing white. We quickly pan out. Far.]

**gochamaze ni naru**

_All become miscellaneous._

[A twin-tailed girl in white dashes over the frame showing her back to us., following her a happier yellow pastel watercolor background.]

**Watashi ni mo**

_You and I_

[As we are left with this new backdrop the girl dashes back into frame, and we get a better image of her. large white cap with a red bow, stark ponytails jutting out her sides. She wears a white vest that covers a lipstick rouge tube top. and black athetic shorts, tight as all hell. She completes her outfit with long white stockings covering past her knees and white tennis shoes. she zips past us, blowing a kiss in our view with a peace sign. A Smeargle chases behind her flailing like a bull in a china shop.]

**anata ni mo nakusu koto no dekinu mono ga atte**

_both have things that we have lost that we can do nothing about._

[We switch to a volcanic backdrop, and slowly swerve to see a teenager that looks astoundingly similar to the Elite Four member and then Pokémon League Champion Lance from the first two generations standing on a ledge, his cape blowing in the wind. At "dekinu" we swing around him from directly facing him to his side and face a menacing Dragonite. which bellows a roar.]

**Kotoba wo sagasu sora yori takaku,**

_I search for words higher than the skies_

[This roar continues as we phase from the volcanic backdrop to that of a stadium. Zorro charges at the Dragonite, swiping at it furiously and then jumping out of the way as it unleashes a devastating beam attack.]

**Kotoba ni narazu tameiki ni naru**

_but unable to form it into words, it becomes a sigh,_

[The Dragonite then chases Zorro fiercely trying to pin it with a punch while the Tricky Fox just barely dodges out of the way each time, eventually sliding in front of Āsā by the end of the line of lyrics. Āsā glares at his opponent at the other side of the field.]

**Kotoba ja toosugite kimi wo dakiyoseta**

_Because words were too distant, I held you close._

[Focus returns to Āsā's green eyes, and zooms out to show he is back in the silver gradient, and focus circles around him as he walds towards the girl from the beginning of the opening, who is curled into a ball. We focus on her looking up with "dakiyoseta"]

**Namida yo tomare**

_Tears, stop._

[We see Āsā with his hands outstretched to her. At "tomare" she grabs on, and the scenery instantly returns to the rolling hills, and we have a little lens flare]

**_I love you, because you are you._ **

**_I love you, because you are you._ **

**_I love you, because you are you._ **

**_I love you, because you are you.*_ **

[From a distance we watch Āsā pulls the girl up,letting go once she's fully up. They walk side-by-side as the chorus repeats. Walking off screen with the last repitition.]

*This part of the song actually happens later on, but this is to make it opening size.

~

A female voice sighs somberly, "Where do I go from here?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Honestly, right now I consider this the chapter that I compare all other chapters to. I consider this to be an amazing introduction into my Kanto region, and a perfect introduction for Āsā, as well as the relationship dynamic between him and Zorro. Additionally, it does a good job of introducing the reader to my heavily anime influenced fanfiction writing style.  
> Āsā's outerwear is for the most part inspired by the character Agan Mardrus from the video game/anime Sands of Destruction (known as World Destruction in Japan). I tried to set him apart slightly with his undershirt, and to further separate them I decided to have Āsā's outerwear be slightly too big for him. By the end of the second leg of his journey, the clothes will fit him. However, that is many chapters away. Many, many, chapters away.


	2. Rising Stage

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Our female protagonist takes the stage, but does she want to be there?

Cast  
Āsā Patrion:  **Hiroshi Kamiya** (Trafalgar Law from _One Piece_ , **Koyomi Araragi from the _Monogatari_ series**, Yuzuru Otonashi from _Angel Beats_ , Seijūrō Akashi from _Kuroko no Basket_ , Levi from _Attack on Titan_ , **Yato from _Noragami_** , Shinji Matou from _Fate/stay night_ , T-Bone from _Clifford the Big Red Dog_ )

Jenny Sango: **Kana Hanazawa** (Nadeko Sengoku from the _Monogatari_ series, Kanade Tachibana from _Angel Beats_ , Ruri Gokou from _Oreimo_ , Moriyama Shiemi from _Blue Exorcist_ , Charlotte Dunois from the _Infinite Stratos_ series, Akane Tsunemori from _Psycho-Pass_ , Ren Kougyoku from _Magi_ , Manaka Mukaido from _Nagi no Asukara_ , Seryu Ubiquitous from _Akame ga Kill!_ , Kosaki Onodera from _Nisekoi_

Zorro:  **Inori Minase** (Suzune Tanahashi from _Love Lab_ , Eddelrittuo from _ALDNOAH.ZERO_ , Asaka Mibu from _Black Bullet_ , Chino Kafū from _GochiUsa_ , Koharu Seto from _Your Lie in April_ , **Hestia from _DanMachi_** , Carol Malus Dienheim from _Senki Zesshō Symphogear GX_ , **Yuki Takeya from _Gakkou-Gurashi!_** , Tsubasa Oribe from _Genei Ibun Roku #FE_ , women from _Symphogear_ )

MC: **Rina Hidaka** (Last Order from _A Certain Magical Index_ , Airi Kashii from _Ro-Kyu-Bu!_ , Hideyoshi from _Sengoku Otome: Momoiro Paradox_ , Kaede Kaburagi from _Tiger & Bunny_, Yuniko Kōzuki from _Accel World_ , Silica/Keiko Ayano from _Sword Art Online_ , Nana Ichikawa from _Love Lab_ , Nagisa Akatsuki from _Strike the Blood_ , Enju Aihara from _Black Bullet_ , **Urara Kawashima from _Food Wars: Shokugeki no Soma_** , Yukina Kosaka from _The Rolling Girls_ , Anne Shirley from _Kon'nichiwa Anne: Before Green Gables_ )

Asuka Teruyama: **Aya Hirano** (Lumière from _Kiddy Grade_ , Haruhi Suzumiya from _The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya_ series, Mahiro Muto from _Buso Renkin_ , Misa Amane from _Death Note_ , Yoko Sasakura from the _School Rumble_ series, Konata Izumi from _Lucky Star_ , Kurumi from _Kimi ni Todoke_ , **Lucy Heartfilia from _Fairy Tail_** , **Menchi from _Hunter x Hunter [2011]_** , Migi from _Parasyte_ )

Our Lord and Savior Pokédex-sama/Backstage Hand: **Chiwa Saitō** (Komachi Mikumari from _Samurai 7_ , Kosuna from _Desert Punk_ , Hazuki/Luna from _Tsukuyomi: Moon Phase_ , Natsumi Hinata from _Sgt. Frog_ , **Hitagi Senjougahara from the _Monogatari_ Series**, **Homura Akemi from _Puella Magi Madoka Magica_** , Fredrika from _Hitsugi no Chaika_ , Cooper "Coop" Burtonburger from _Kid vs. Kat_ )

* * *

 

Battle 002:

~Rising Stage~

"Why am I here?"

Jenny was about to live her lifetime dream of being a Pokémon Coordinator, she was in abeautiful pink lotita dress and an adorable blush pink and white mini top hat. She looked fantastic, she was about to do fantastic, but why didn't she feel fantastic?

* * *

 

_Why are we here? This is booooring!_

Āsā was currently sitting in the Vermillion City Opera House, waiting for the Pokémon contest to begin. He had his elbows up and his feet on the seat in front of him, throwing all manners out the window. Zorro was on his shoulder, restless. Not in the mood to take any of his partner Pokémon's shit, Āsā retorted "Research."

_What does this have to do with research?_

"Look, we can take ideas from the performances, especially the battle rounds, and apply them to our battle strategies."

 _Mhmmm...._ Zorro snickered. _You just want to ogle at hot girls in cute dresses._ With this the Pokémon chuckled.

"I can shove you back in here, you know!" Āsā snapped holding out the Tricky Fox's Pokéball. _Fine fine fine!_

"I couldn't give a damn about girls."

 _The fact you had to go out of your way and clarify that means something...._ With this Āsā was left speechless, unable to respond. He sunk into his seat in defeat.

[CUE OPENING 1: **Because You Are You** by Aqua Timez; Probably will have to download it, but it's worth it. Animation Sequence detailed in chapter 1.]

"Jenny Shiki, you're on queue."

"Oh nooo..." Jenny clapped her hands to her cheeks, attempting to hide how she was blushing with anxiety. "Why'd I do this?!?!?"

"I don't know, I'm just doing my job."

"Shut it." She took a deep breath. This was it. Her childhood dream is finally coming into fruition. Within minutes, Jenny would release her Pokémon onto the stage, directing it in its appeal routine they had been practicing for months, and, if everything went according to plan, they would wow their audience, riding the crowd's hype to the Battle rounds.

However, upon arriving in Vermillion City, thoughts of doubt began to cloud her mind. _You're not a performer. You couldn't even give an oral presentation in trainer school, let alone stand in front of an auditorium of eyes, watching you. Judging you. Every minute gesture of yours is going to be under meticulous scrutiny. One wrong move, and your career will be ruined._

To make matters worse, the contest circuit in her home, Hoenn, was rapidly approaching its endgame by the time her contestant application was finally processed. It would be impossible to obtain 5 ribbons with only 6 of the 96 contests in the circuit left. Unfortunately for her, the only circuit that was just starting was the Kanto/Johto circuit, only 7 contests into its 90 circuit run. However, the judges in the circuit are known to be almost twice as critical as the ones in Hoenn.

 _But no_ , she thought, _I have to steel my resolve. You can do it, Jenny! Let's do this!_

* * *

 

15 appeals in, and while there were some promising performances, there had yet to be any breakout routines.

_Can we go now?_

Āsā hushed his telepathic Pokémon. "I want to at least wait out the performance round. If it doesn't seem like there's gonna be any battles worth watching we'll ditch."

_But I wanna leave nowwwww..._

"Too bad, shut it. The next appeal's about to start."

The MC took the stage once again. She was a perky young woman, with lime green hair and a flat chest. She was on her 17th costume change, having already gone through many styles from schoolgirl outfits to gothic lolita, she was now wearing a pale light green dress to compliment her jarring hair color. "Are you excited?!? This is just FUNTASTIC isn't it?!?!?!" The crowd applauded, with a cheer or two thrown in for good measure. "Well things are about to get even more FUNTASTIC!!!! Our next performance is going to be FUNTASTIC! Let's have some fun! It's Jenny Sango from Pacifidlog Town! This act is sure to be...FUNTASTIC!!!!!" The MC made a peace sign towards the sky and confetti cannons showered her. She then left stage right, as the curtains began to rise.

"If i have to hear this bitch say "FUNTASTIC" one more time I'll jump off a bridge," snickered Āsā.

 _Just like we've practiced, right? Just like we practiced._ She could just barely see the audience below the rising curtain, but it was enough to send a shiver down her spine.

[CUE INSERT SONG: **Fly Me to the Moon (Infinity Climax Mix)** from _Bayonetta]_

The curtains had finally been lifted out of view. She began her appeal routine. "It's go time Corsy!"

Jenny sent out her Corsola with a pirouette. She had read that the judges always enjoy the contestant showing enthusiasm. "Lucky Chant!"

Corsola stood on her hind legs and waved her stubby little arms and front legs, imitating the shape of a four-leaf clover, drawing the audience into the spectacle Jenny was planning to share.

"Show them your bubble beam!" Corsy spouted bubbles while making a somewhat swift dash, skidding across the front of the stage and showering the orchestra section in beautiful bubbles. All of the young children in the section went crazy over the bubbles, flailing their arms in an overall futile attempt to pop every last one. As the Corsola swept back towards center stage it twirled, spreading bubbles all around the air above it.

"Alright, transition into an Aqua Ring!" The Corsola continued to twirl in the center stage, lifting itself into a pirouette. It continued to spray water, but the bubbles quickly turned into a ribbon of water. As Corsy continued to twirl, the ribbon overlapped itself creating a halo of water. Once this band was able to stay in its ring shape, Corsola stopped twirling, and the ring of water continued to flow around it. Jenny had filled the stage with water, all of which were anything but on the floor. It was almost as if Corsy had returned to her original habitat deep beneath the Hoenn waves.

And the entire auditorium loved it. However, Jenny still had one more trick up her sleeve. "Give them the ol' razzle dazzle! Spike Cannon!"

Corsy leaped into the air, and the numerous spikes on the Coral Pokémon's back began to glow; new spikes began to sprout from under them, pushing the older spikes out of its back. A collective gasp filled the room. Why would Jenny want her Pokémon to fire its spikes if they would just break the beautiful Aqua Ring encasing it? To their surprise, instead of shattering upon contact with the spikes, the Aqua Ring stuck to the spikes and was being stretched outward. The spikes guided the ring to sweep through all of the leftover bubbles, and with the last of them popped. the ring finally shattered. Corsy landed second stage and struck a pose as a thin mist fell onto the stage, creating a rainbow arching above it. The crowd enthusiastically broke into an uproar of cheering that could have rivaled the cry of an Exploud.

Back in the audience, Āsā let out an intrigued "hmph," and stroked his chin. This girl was interesting. Although she had given an amazing performance, he could tell that something was off.

Jenny took a bow as the audience gave her and her partner a well deserved round of applause. She had done it. She and Corsy had given a performance to remember.

[Cut the insert song]

However, she didn't feel excited at all.

* * *

 

"The results are in! Here are the eight FUNTASTIC contestants who will move on to the battle rounds!" The MC was now wearing a white tube top with pink diagonal stripes, and a white frilly skirt that had patterned pink lollipops scattered across it.

"Kathy Jones! Barnes Sherbart! Asuka Teruyama! Jenny Sango! Holly Harpinsons! Grant Fleece! Jack Nickelburg! And Marcus Scoft!"

Back in her dressing room, Jenny was glued to the small 8 1/2" x 11" screen mounted above the complimentary laundry hamper, rocking back and forth with her legs crossed on top of her chair. Right now the screen was just showing a sky blue background with Pokéball patterns raining down, but at any minute the screen would change to the matchup bracket for the battle rounds.

The screen changed and Jenny gave a slight nod as she sprung out of her seat and pulled out the drawer where she was keeping her Pokéballs. _I'll be going up against that Teruyama chick...._

Asuka Teruyama was the last person to go up during the appeal rounds, and Jenny had decided to use the restroom instead of watching the last performance on the dressing room monitor. The last appeal was the most heavily critiqued, as by that point the judges generally would already have an idea of which 8 contestants they would be allowing to move on. If she was able to make that much of an impact on the judges' decision, Jenny was about to go up against a serious competitor.

 _I have to bring my A game._ She was deciding between two Pokéballs, lifting them up and down as she strategized, considering the pros and cons of choosing either. She had raised Corsy specifically with the appeal round in mind, more so than she had raised her other Pokémon. In the battle rounds, a contestant has to take into account two different measures of stamina. There was the Pokémon's own HP, of course, but there was also your SP, or Style Points, which decreases with the Pokémon's performance during the battle. Each Pokémon starts with 500 SP. The more flashier and more choreographed your attacks are, the faster your opponent's SP will go down. The battle ends when either a Pokémon's SP or HP drops to zero. This means that contestants can choose to focus on either their technique, or they can opt to try to juggernaut their opponent's HP to zero. Although it is more difficult to target your opponent's style points, it is often more rewarding. However, it is harder for starting contestants to focus on choreographing SP-draining combos as they and their Pokémon are still inexperienced in choreographing appeal sequences, and have to dedicate more time for preparing their appeals. This also applied to Jenny, who spent almost all of her time practicing with Corsy for their appeal performance. Jenny would have to aim for her opponent's HP in order to win.

Jenny put one of the Pokéballs back into the drawer and dashed out of her room.

* * *

 

"The first match of the battle rounds is about to begin! Are you ready people?"

The audience cheered; Jenny tensed.

"Okay!!! Let's begin!"

Asuka Teruyama stared confidently across the stage at Jenny. Asuka insultingly was wearing her street clothes, which were not really contest appropriate. A large white cap with a red bow sat on top of two stark ponytails jutting out from the sides of her head. Under her white vest was a slightly murky yellow tube top. Her black athletic shorts accentuated her stunning figure, along with a pair of long white stockings that went up past her knees. "Alright Mr. Mie! Give them hell!"

Out from Asuka's Pokéball sprung a traumatizing Mr. Mime.

"Mawy, come on out!" Jenny sent out a Mawile that was slightly below the average size for its kind.

As the crowd cheered, Āsā took advantage of the noise to pull out his Pokédex.

_Mr. Mime: The Barrier Pokémon_

_Mawile: The Deceiver Pokémon. Its horns form a huge set of jaws strong enough to chew through iron beams._

"Hey Zorro, you know that neither of those are Pokémon that you see often. This is definitely going to be an interesting battle."

"Well? Are you going to make the first move or not? We're on a time limit here." Asuka was already beginning to toy with Jenny.

Jenny trembled and stuttered until she could actually bark a command. "F-f-f-fairy wind!" Mawy began to twirl its twin jaws in a propeller-like motion, creating a pink cyclone of wind. The Pokémon lunged its jaws forward, catapulting the vortex of Fairy Wind.

"Mr. Mime use Barrier!" Asuka commanded playfully, winking and giving a peace sign.

Mr. Mime extended its arms in front of it. By performing a rhythmic sequence with its fingers, Mr. Mime conjured an invisible barrier that completely halted the raging wind currents. Jenny was nearly swept off her feet in shock.

"Now, do it! Copycat!" With a new sequence of imaginary finger taps, two slightly smaller vortexes of fairy wind formed in the palm of Mr. Mime's hand. Asuka commanded her Pokémon to go for a thrust, and Mr. Mime charged into Mawy, the dual Fairy Winds that had formed in the palm of its hand blasting Mawy into the wall of the entrance wing on stage left.

Jenny was absolutely speechless. What would have knocked off an adequate portion of Mr. Mime's SP only deducted a sliver's worth, while more than a quarter of Mawy's respective SP was now gone.

It was obvious that Mr. Mime had been trained to excel in the battle stages, a nightmarish clown that could target both HP and SP.

Jenny's brain was pulsing. She wasn't cut out for this. Her brain was not wired for the fast-paced frenzy of battles. The only noises that were able to escape from her mouth were indiscernible mumblings such as "Buhguhgbda" and "Mhrgdmre." Eventually the audience grew silent. In fact, even Asuka stopped in her tracks trying to figure out what was going on with her opponent. Jenny curled up into the fetal position and began to twiddle her fingers.

Jenny began to retreat into the deep cavity of her own anxieties, and they were caving in on her, trapping her. She let the stream of tears flow.

And then came the light at the end of the tunnel.

"JUST WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU TRYING TO PULL, DAMN IT!?!?"

 

Āsā could not bear to watch the disaster unfolding on the stage any longer. He had to speak up.

"WHY THE HELL ARE YOU CRYING? DO YOU REALLY THINK YOU DESERVE TO CRY? WHY DID YOU EVEN SIGN UP FOR THIS IN THE FIRST PLACE?"

With this Jenny realized something. _That's right, why did I even enter this contest in the first place? I have nothing to prove, nothing to gain._

"DO YOU SERIOUSLY NOT KNOW?"

Jenny had no choice but to nod.

"DUMBASS! THE ANSWERS RIGHT IN FRONT OF YOU!"

"What?" Jenny turned to face her Mawile.

"THIS CONTEST IS SUPPOSED TO BE ABOUT SHOWCASING YOUR POKÉMON! THE COORDINATOR IS REALLY JUST IRRELEVANT! IF ANYTHING YOU'RE GETTING IN THE WAY IF YOUR MAWILE'S TIME TO SHINE! NOW GET OFF YOUR FAT ASS AND FINISH YOUR GOD DAMN BATTLE!"

_Um...Āsā?_

"Not know Zorro" he whispered.

_Āsā the entire auditorium is staring at you. I could hear somebody calling for security._

"Shit." He hadn't planned on making a scene, but his passion had gotten the better of him yet again, and he was once again in for some serious trouble because of it. However, Āsā simply smirked. "No matter what I'm staying put, I want to see this match until the end!"

* * *

 

That boy in the audience was right, Jenny was hogging the spotlight for Mawy, Tears still rolling down her cheeks, Jenny rose once again. "Mawy, sorry. I let my anxiety get ahold of me, now if you'll please forgive me...." Jenny's partner gave a thumbs up from behind, and prepared itself for a comeback

"We've wasted most of our time pouting, let's make up for it! Mawy use Iron Head!"

A metallic coating swept over the Mawile's jaw horns. She charged for Mr. Mime, twirling it a little to add more force to the impact,. With a downward swipe, Mawy's Iron Head slice Mr. Mime in half.

"Ohohoho if you actually thought I just waited around biting my nails while you had your temper tantrum, you're solely mistaken! I had Mr. Mime set up a Substitute! Now, Mr. Mime, finish these amateurs off with Psybeam!" Mr. Mime dropped down from the rafters set above the stage with a concentration of telekinetic energy in its palms. Mr. Mime clapped its hands together, and as it spread them apart the telekinetic energy continued to stay concentrated in between them. Mr. Mime blasted Mawy.

Jenny's SP dropped to 250. Mawy shrugged off the attack fairly quickly, standing by for its next command.

"Catch up with its descent and use Ice Fang! The Deceiver Pokémon charged towards Mr. Mime's shadow, the inside of its jaws undergoing ice crystallization. However, the Mawile smacked into an invisible wall, and Jenny's SP dropped to 225.

"That there is Mr. Mime's signature Barrier technique.Another little thing I set up during your temper tantrum." Jenny gritted her teeth. "Mr. Mime go for one last Psybeam."

"Mawy use Iron Defense to reflect the Psybeam!" A shell of steel enveloped Mawy and deflected the Mr. Mime's Psybeam. Asuka's SP dropped to 453.

"Oh yeah? Two can play at that game! Use Copycat to take advantage of Iron Defense!" The Mawile's makeshift Iron Defense reflected the Psybeam yet again. The beam had now accelerated to the pointthat Mawy would not be able to activate an Iron Defense to reflect the speeding Psybeam in time.

Jenny's SP dropped to 0.

* * *

 

"Hey!" Jenny heard a voice call out to her as she exited through the back of the auditorium in the Vermillion sunset. She was now in her street clothes, a pink spaghetti strap tank with light green shorts and a red bandana tied around her head.

Jenny had decided to leave before the awards ceremony out of embarrassment for the debacle that was her contest battle with Asuka. The last thing she expected was somebody to confront her about her performance. If it was any other voice she probably would have ignored them and continue walking away. However, she could tell that this was the voice of the boy who had called out to her during the contest battle. She turned to respond. However, when she tried to speak no words came out.

"You weren't in your element out there, were you?" Āsā was kneeling his back against the auditorium's exterior wall, twirling his beret around on his fingertip. "The name's Āsā, by the way." He set the hat back on top of his head and held his hand out towards her.

"My name's' Jenny Sango..." she blushed as she shook his hand. "Thank you for bringing some sense back to me up there. I was freaking out, and you helped me–"

"Are you going to sign up for another contest?"

"No, I've realized it's not my thing."

"You don't know what your thing is, do you?"

"You've got me there...."

"Do you know how to find what you want to do in life?"

"No...."

"If you want to figure out your place in the world, you have to insert yourself into the random nooks and crannies of the universe and see where you fit in. There's a wide world out there, and you can't just think you make up the entire thing. So you aren't cut out for something, big deal. It's not the end of the world. That just means there's something out there you're even better at. So go out find what you're good at, then blossom."

"Why are you doing this? Why are you going so far out of your way to help someone like me out?"

"Well, I guess maybe that's where I fit in, helping others."

_Actually, he got kicked out of the venue for disrupting the peace, so he figured he might as well wait for you out back._

"Zorro! She didn't have to know that!" The mischevious fox was lounging on a tree branch next to the pair.

"Wh-wh-who said that?!?" Jenny cried, startled by this mysterious voice.

"Well, what do you know?" Āsā held out his shoulder and Zorro jumped onto it. "Zorro doesn't usually channel his telepathy to others unless he really likes them. You're one lucky gal."

"Ah, okay." Jenny giggled. "So where are you going from here, Mr. Nook and Cranny?"

"I'm heading North. Saffron City, specifically. I'm going to challenge the gym there, and get my second gym badge. Although it's not specifically my exact place in this world, the goal keeps me on the right track to finding that, and I'm pretty good at training my Pokémon and battling, too."

"I see..." Jenny whimpered. "You know, maybe if I travel with you, I'll find my place...."

"If that's what you want, sure. I won't stop you."

"Then I'll be coming with you, then!"

_Your funeral._

"Zorro I will castrate you."

The three walk off into the sunset, their adventures just beginning.

[CUE ENDING 1: **Asterisk** by Orange Range. Originally from Bleach.]

[The opening beats begin with Jenny at a table, with numerous colors of paper scattered across it. The tone of the ending is bright and vibrant, similar to how the animation was in the Bleach opening sharing the song. As she picks up one of the pieces of paper and writes a message in it, the vocals kick in. The color of the paper will be different each chapter. This time, the paper is orange.]

**Miageta yozora no hoshi-tachi no hikari**

_Look up at the light of the stars in the night sky._

[Brief montage of Jenny folding the paper into an airplane from multiple angles]

**Miageta yozora no hoshi-tachi no hikari**

_Look up at the light of the stars in the night sky._

[Jenny takes the now finished airplane and flicks it into flight, the screen following the airplane as it glides. Behind it is a trail of three colors that will alternate each time: this time it's red, black, and white. You know, the colors of the Pokéball. Throughout the area surrounding its flight are numerous transparent Pokéballs of various different vibrant colors rain down, inside each a different Pokémon The overall background will also be a different color each time. This time the background is a neon light green. Then, as the lyrics kick in, the raining Pokéball scenery is swiped away by a bird's eye view of Vermillion City. The paper airplane remains gliding around the bottom, with its trail behind it.]

**Hitotsu futatsu kane no oto wa hibiku kokoro no naka e tohiroku fukaku**

_One, two bell chimes resound vast and deep, to within the heart,_

**Monogatari no you na hoshi ga shizuku sono naka ni hosoi senrou wo kizuku**

_Drops of stars like a story; fine tracks are amassed with them._

[Another wipe changes the backdrop behind our vessel to the massive skyline of Saffron City]

**Jikan to tomo ni jidai wa ugoku, nagareru hoshi wa shizuka ni ugoku**

_The era moves along with time, and the flowing stars quietly move too._

**Me wo tojite mimi wo sumaseba G-O-O-D BYE**

_If you close your eyes and listen closely, good bye._

[Wipe to the Celadon city skyline]

**Hanate hikari makezu ni shikkari ima toki wo kazoe**

_Releasing the light, now we'll firmly pass through time without giving up,_

**Dare ka ni todoku made eikou no hikari wa kono mukou ni kimi tachi to tsukutte iku sutoori**

_Until it reaches someone, the light of glory will go on and make a story beyond all of this, along with us._

[Wipe to Cycling Road]

**Miageta yozora no hoshitachi no hikari**

_The light of the stars in the sky that I looked up to_

**Mukashi no omoi negai ga jidai wo koe iro aseru koto naku todoku**

_Old memories and wishes are sent, crossing through time unfading_

[Wipe to a bird's eye view of Fuschia City and the Safari Zone]

**Kirari hitomi ni utsuru dare ka no sakebi kaze ni omoi wo**

_The cries of someone are reflected in your eyes with a sparkle, the feeling in the wind_

**Tsuki ni negai wo chikara aru kagiri ikiteku n da kyou mo**

_The wishes in the moon, they all live within powerful limitations today,_

[The camera pivots to the tail of the paper airplane, and we see it gliding towards Āsā and Zorro, walking down a wooded path towards the horizon.]

**Bokura no omoi mo itsu ka dare ka no mune ni**

_Our feelings too, will one day continue to shine,_

[Āsā turns around and swoops up the paper airplane, unfolding it.]

**Hikari tsuzukeyou ano hoshi ni yoru ni**

_With someone's heart, like those stars,_

[Āsā completely unfolds the paper, and reads the message on it with a smile on his face. We go to the paper, and see the message inside it, which will be the title of the next chapter.

**NEXT TIME:**

**BATTLE 003: THE BLOSSOMS OF INTELLECT**

The last line repeats itself one more time as we stay on the paper in Āsā's hands]

**Hikari tsuzukeyou ano hoshi ni yoru ni**

_Continue to shine, like those stars._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter went through writing hell. If you want a time frame, chapter 1 was finished around late January early February if I recall correctly. I uploaded this chapter to fanfiction.net at the end of March. This large gap is because of a few reasons: 1. School and extracurriculars. 2. When I did have time for writing, I usually procrastinated. However, while I was consumed by schoolwork, the story has never left my mind, and I've been planning characters and story arcs during lectures that I should probably be paying attention to.
> 
> I have planned nearly this entire first phase on a chapter basis, and can guarantee there will be way over 80 chapters in this Kanto phase alone. Quite possibly over 100, in fact.
> 
> Prepare your anuses.
> 
> Now, I'll reflect on the chapter. I feel like there were shifts in personality and cohesiveness in this chapter simply due to the long writing period it had. That's just my opinion though. Other than that, I was able to introduce Āsā's traveling companion successfully, which I'm happy about.
> 
> Next, let's talk about where I'm going with this fic. This is the first of (hopefully) a trilogy of fanfics that I've given the umbrella title of the Knight Project. So, I have plans for where this story is going. Big plans. This first installment as you can tell is taking place in Kanto, obviously. The second installment is going to take place in an original region. Don't worry, I can assure you this won't be some crappy filler style arc. This installment is going to be setting up key plot points for the third installment. I was originally going to just begin with the third installment and just have flashbacks to key backstory points from what are now going to be the first two installments, but I decided starting from the beginning would be for the best. What happens in Kalos is going to end it all.
> 
> Lastly, Please leave comments letting me know what you think about the series! This is my first rodeo, so suggestions for improvement are welcomed with open arms!


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